Singapore - Cocotte Communal Restaurant Bar

The Hotel

Singapore's Little India is revamping.  It is becoming trendy and with the sprouting of a couple of subway stations serving the area, the residential market is also on the up and up.  And with an increasing market to serve, it is no wonder the restaurant scene here is going to extend beyond thosais and accompanying sambars.

Bread and beurre

The Wanderlust Hotel, a newish boutique hotel in the area, houses Cocotte, which offers casual French food.  It is dimly lit but it isn't romantic, but it is rustic and the food is pretty enjoyable all round.

For dinner, they offer a prix fixe menu with several items that require sharing.  Based on what you choose, dinner can get a little expensive despite the entry price but overall enjoyable since the quality of the food is pretty good.

French radishes with butter and Maldon flakes

A French classic started us off.  This one is all about the produce which did not disappoint.  Crunchy radishes with a slight bittersweet taste made smooth and fragrant with the butter, then highlighted with salt.

French oysters - Brittany

Briny but not overly so, this was more sea sweet than sea salty.  Very nice with a twist of lemon and a garlic vinaigrette.

Seafood casserole

This was an excellent seafood pot.  All imported (ok, there was the carbon footprint thing) but oh so fresh.  The brown crab had such sweet and soft flesh that little chewing was necessary to savor the creamy roe and flesh together.  The mussels, shrimps and scampi were also very good.  It was a huge pot and it got a little much at the end.  A tad salty and I could have been a little drunk from the generous white wine which may not have totally evaporated in the cooking process *smiles..

Accompanying fries and walnut salad were a nice break from all the seafood.  The fries a little too dangerously so since we were not daunted by how much there was.

Apple Tart

Dinner ended on a very sweet note with the apple tart.  Perfect crisp with medium cooked apples.  We could have done with a little more ice cream but nobody's complaining.

PS. I don't speak French but there appears to be a few meanings to Cocotte.  I wonder what the message was when they thought of the name.  A little naughty or a little community.  Go figure.

No. 2 Dickson Road
Tel: +65-62981188

Hong Kong - Strip House by Harlan Goldstein

I've never had a bad meal at a Harlan Goldstein establishment.  That's a pretty tall order in the fickle and inconstent F&B world today.  I've enjoyed them all, from Tuscany by H (a pity it had to go) to Gold.  Oh I did have a a very meh meal - at H One - but that was after Harlan was no longer associated with the H.  So don't be fooled.

Strip House is Harlan's latest venture and yes it does steaks, and yes, pretty well.  But it has a whole bag of goodies, within a smallish menu mind you, that you don't really have to eat beef if you don't want to. 


House cured bacon

This was 2 wonderful strips of pork belly, subtly smoked and salted then grilled.  So many ways it could go wrong, but this was delish.  One might even say it was a tad small... 

Crab cakes

But many rave about this one in the appetiser section, and rightly so.  So good we had to have 2 orders.  This was a literal interpretation of the name of the dish.  Huge lumps of crab meat molded into a cake, then lightly pan fried.  And then a lobster bisque like sauce to match.  If you like crab, you can probably eat this all day.


Onion loaf

Good but I've had better.  But even then, we polished off the whole loaf.  If you like soft and fluffy this would be your loaf.  I like a little chew in my breads but otherwise, a bit more whiff of onion would have made this a loaf of desire. 

New York Strip

This was a pretty decent piece of meat.  With enough marbling yet not too much so folks who like some bite, can chew through (but without too much work).  Well grilled with a good pink centre, this was enjoyable.  The sprig of rosemary on garlic is a nice touch, subtle enough not to overwhelm.  



Kick Ass Mac Cheese

Yes, that kind of language is used on the menu.  Because statements of fact are not offensive?  Yes, it was kick ass.  And yes, I would eat it again even if it doesn't look like much.  I'm not shallow like that.


Sizzling brownie

It was the more dramatic of the 2 desserts with our server pouring chocolate sauce into the hot griddle to make it sizzle.  But it was just a lot of chocolate for me that I could barely open my mouth.  Good for sharing since it would be one heck of a meal in itself. 



Lemon cake

This was the sweet winner hands down.  Lemony liquid insides encased in a moist cake.  Paired with vanilla ice cream and cooked cherries, perfectly light finish to an otherwise heavy meal.  So light it's possible to have 2, well almost possible. 

Oh and did I mention we had a patient and sweet server too, who had to put up with a slightly stressed group of individuals who had a hard week?  She did a great job of winding us down into the weekend too.  Great job!  I'm sorry I forgot your name!  But I'm sure I'll see you again.

5/F, Grand Progress Building

15-16 Lan Kwai Fong

Central

Tel: +852-2521 8638

Hong Kong - Above & Beyond 天外天

It's not out of this world but it certainly is above and beyond.  It is above and beyond what most other Chinese restaurants who seek to modernise Chinese cuisine for today's palate offers.  It is the use of better ingredients that translates into better enjoyment of the produce, something which has been lacking on the Chinese food scene even in the upper middle echelons, which is a real disappointment since it doesn't translate to better value pricing.  

Above & Beyond in my 2 recent visits at least tries to deliver on the promise of good value pricing.  And based on tastes and views alone, is pretty much up there in the clouds, sitting atop the new-ish Hotel Icon in TST East, oddly enough.  But it is perhaps the slightly out of the way location which allows it to deliver.  

Smoked Bresse Pigeon with Oolong Tea Leaves

All dishes were enjoyable but perhaps the standout was the smoked pigeon.  Not a huge fan of pigeon, but this changed my opinion.  Not the skinny dry ones I've had in Shatin, but a tasty (not gamey) bird that was juicy and had hints of fragrant Oolong coming through.  

Suckling pig trotters in abalone sauce

Of the appetizers we ordered, the collagen fix from the baby pig trotters were juicy and tender.  The sauce was good although I didn't get much of a whiff of abalone.  

Steamed crab with glutinous rice

The Rice

The steamed crab over glutinous rice was good but in my opinion, nothing beats the crab and rice combo at Xin Dau Ji.  The glutinous rice here was a tad too soft for me, but that's just personal since I prefer my grains very separate and apart.  The crab was definitely good quality and full of meat and roe.   

Fried shrimp patties with basil

Spareribs in plum sauce and poached pears in red wine

Spareribs well deep fried but I was sold on the pears in red wine.  Great way to lift an otherwise heavy dish.

Stir fried shrimps with lychees

Another dish to use fruit to give it a natural sweetness and freshness.

Chilled Mango Pudding

Sweetened almond cream with egg white

Baked sago pudding

Desserts were surprisingly good, especially the mango pudding in summer.  Good quality and naturally sweet, unlike the often used artificial mango puree these days.

It's not a cheap place but it offers great value.  Even dim sum at lunch is a treat.  My only complaint at lunch is a less than attentive service you get for dinner.  But you can only blame it on having to share the attention with like minded customers who swamp to what is an obscure area to me to lunch above and beyond TST.

28/F, Hotel ICON
17 Science Museum Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-3400 1318

Singapore - Kookaburra Restaurant & Gastrobar

It's all day breakfast with a twist.  With a name like Kookaburra, it's gotta be Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.  But they don't serve the bird.  They do however, have kangaroo on its menu.  The menu is a little eclectic with Aussie offerings with local twist.  And when one picks up the menu, it is quite a piece of work.  It's busy to say the least, and takes a while to pore through.  For people who have mental blocks about "fusion", things like Kurobuta Rendang and Kangaroo satay might be worrisome.  But the good news is they do manage to pull it off.

Fluffy Pancake Stack

But this was the winner for me.  Yes, the pancakes are fluffy, but it was the crispy pork belly combined with caramelized apples and cinnamon rhubarb ice cream which made this quite astounding.  If you try nothing else here, try this.

Tasting Platter - Kangaroo satay, baked scallops with mayonaise, popcorn shrimp, salmon wraps

Kangaroo is not a wow, but it is a pretty good meat to have on a satay.  Or a guilt free satay since it is good meat for you.  Very little fat and not too gamey.  A fairly decent combo platter of deep fried, baked, grilled and chilled.

Caesar Salad

Ironically the breads stole the show on the salad.  I'm told they bake their own and these walnut slices had the right consistency with enough chew on them to release the fragrance of the flour and walnuts.  I would definitely order bread based stuff next time I go.

Grape juice

Juices are fresh and they have wonderful concoctions.  Critical to a breakfast joint like this one.

A good place to chill and eat brekkie anytime of day.  Service was attentive (maybe because it was a slow night) but they were all very accommodating since we changed tables 3 times.  All smiles and great recommendations from the staff.  That in itself is already a huge plus.

180 Albert Court
#01-09 Albert Court Village Hotel
Tel: 65-85222365

Singapore - Hinoki

The Japanese restaurant community in Singapore is small.  Almost every sushi chef hails from Master Nogawa, who's recently made a comeback to Singapore after a difficult venture back in Japan.  The 2 lead characters who helm Hinoki are no different, having apprenticed under the master some 2 decades ago.  Lawrence, who is the Laurel of the 2, recently came from the failed Japanese venture at the Keppel club, and whose brother Ronnie is the brains behind the famous Tatsuya, now at the Goodwood Park Hotel.  Gary, who is the Hardy, also worked at Keppel before partnering with Lawrence at Hinoki.

Steamed egg custard - sea urchin and fish liver

Sake accompaniments - grilled Fugu and grilled dried baby sardines

The atmosphere is boisterous, and different from most other Japanese restaurants where the ambience is almost sombre, in reverence of the artistry at the counter.  The only separation here is noisy or noisier, with drinkers tending to be herded towards the Lawrence end.  While a little rowdy, it's all in good fun, with a lot of local Hokkien humor peppered throughout your meal.

Sashimi - salmon, yellow tail, botan shrimp, scallop and swordfish

Grilled geoduck

The style of food is not dissimilar to a meal at Tatsuya although the overall experience (food wise) is not as spectacular.  But prices are about half of that at Tatsuya so one can't really complain.  For a casual night out, it's not bad at all.  And since it was our first time, it was difficult for them to gauge what we like or didn't like so I thought Gary played it overly cautious (almost boring).

Grilled yellowtail collar

Seared foie gras and botan shrimp sushi

But the sushis were the highlight and like Tatsuya, they do specialise in Aburi (blowtorched) pieces for that smoky finish.  If you don't enjoy that, best to tell them upfront.  I do like a combination of fresh and Aburi so this worked for me.  Next time perhaps, I would just have a sushi meal and skip the others.

Mentaiko and Scallop sushi

Anago sushi

Green tea ice cream with red beans and Yuzu sorbet

My only complaint food wise is that my ice cream came melted (and the servers didn't know better than to not serve it).  Not the end of the world but there is sometimes a fine line between fun and professionalism.  Oh well.

Still worthy of a repeat if you're in the neighbourhood.  Word of caution though: don't mention Tatsuya, Ronnie or Keppel.  Any of these 3 words sets Lawrence off and that means listening to a very long story of brotherly feuds and business troubles.  My advice, just stick with the food and drinks.

Hinoki Japanese Restaurant
22 Cross Street
#01-50/53 China Square Central
South Bridge Court
Tel: +65 6536 7746

Hong Kong - Kowloon Tang 九龍廳

The Elements Mall is not a mall I frequent.  And frankly, I haven't been all that impressed with the F&B scene there so it really is a tad much effort to trudge there for lunch even though it isn't all that far away.  A chance errand required me to get there and so with E, we decided to try out the of late, much reviewed Kowloon Tang. 

The restaurant is beautifully fitted to look like a posh dining hall from 1930s Shanghai.  Stepping in, it smacks of nothing like the Chinese restaurants Hong Kong has come to know.  It was quiet, very quiet.  No doubt we were early for lunch but still, no clanging of tableware nor loud chatter from the staff.  Makes for an excellent venue to have quiet client meals.  Service is trained efficiency although it did lack a little warmth.  I didn't get the happy staff feeling but oh well, who am I to judge. 

We weren't looking for a lot to eat since we needed to manage time and our appetites.  But what we had was actually quite decent, and not overly re-created, and still true to its Chinese roots.  Many reviews had raved about the Peking duck here but perhaps one duck between 2 people would have been a little too much to handle.  

Goose liver in Huadiao

 This was chilled, creamy and exuded alcoholic fragrance.  Couldn't ask for a better starter on a hot and humid summer's day.    

Steamed crab meat and egg white dumplings

This looked quite ordinary when it showed up at the table, but one bite and we were suitably impressed with the freshness of the crab meat and the natural sweetness which filled the dumpling.  And of course, as true Cantonese demand, the skin was thin, yet had the requisite bite.  Quite good, really.


Deep fried spring rolls with taro wrapped in a steamed rice flour roll

This was a good twist to the usual steamed rice rolls.  For crisp, they are usually stuffed with dough fritters.  This one, however, was stuffed with a high quality spring roll which was well deep fried and drained of grease, and in turnr stuffed with a creamy taro mash and other vegetables for crisp and crunch.

Wok fried four angled beans with crispy pork lard and garlic

For greens, we decided to forgo the usual leafy greens to try this more sinful one.  It was an interesting vegetable we don't normally have in Hong Kong.  The closest I've ever had is the winged bean we eat with sambal in Peranakan food, but this was bigger, and required a little more effort to bite.  Using lard, fermented black beans and garlic bulbs flash fried together to release a heavenly taste and aroma is quite a clever way of making this vegetable palate pleasing.   

Overall, a very pleasant experience.  Very decent surrounds so you can actually hear yourself and your companion without fear of losing your voice.  And the food was pretty good too.  So I will make it a point to go back and try the duck.  Afterall, many have proclaimed it the best in Hong Kong.  So I might just break my rule of never eating the bird outside the capital.

Shop R002-003
3/F, Roof Deck, Elements
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852-2811 9398

Hong Kong - Mirror Restaurant

After a long week, I had no reservations for Friday night.  O.M.G.  I called 10 places before I got lucky.  And surprisingly so that I couldn't react momentarily when the voice on the phone enquired "What time should we expect you?".  Such luck since I had been unsuccessful twice before.  Too bad I forgot to take a pitstop at the Jockey Club..

Although there was signage when we exited the lifts, we almost thought we should either ring a doorbell (which we didn't find) or knock the opaque wooden door before entering.  Inside, soft lighting and plush chairs await and it's comfortable chic without any pretentiousness.  The elevated open kitchen is the main feature of the dining room, manned by 5 men in whites, under the watchful eyes of Jeremy Biasiol.  The chef has an easy manner about him and camaraderie he appears to have with his team provides a casual yet disciplined approach he has to running the restaurant.  The other talking piece of a curtain made from hanging cutlery gives the room its playful charm too.

There are only 2 menus - a signature menu and a tasting menu.  After much deliberation, we decided to try both.  But before that...

Bread and Butter

they spoil us with bread.  Extremely well baked (from left to right): baguette, whole wheat baguette, and the awesome bacon twisty, with salted and unsalted butter on the side.  It was tempting to ask for another serving..

Amuse Bouche

A lemongrass risotto with clams and a touch of sour cream.  A clever twist to the usual made for a light start despite the creamy look.

Both menus were good in their own right, which was why it took a while to decide since there was stuff on both menus which were exciting.

Tiger shrimps jelly, roe sauce, Oscietra caviar, flowers, green apple

It sounded a little more exciting on the menu but certainly was a visually captivating starter.  Perhaps I didn't care for too much mousse.  But loved the sweet freshness of the shrimps.  Unbeatable.

Salmon lightly cooked, roasted cauliflower and puree with grenobloise sauce

Perfectly cooked salmon.  Enough said.

Thin tomatoes soup, pan seared tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and pesto sauce

This was probably the least exciting in the tasting menu.  It wasn't bad but it didn't do much for me except perhaps lighten my palate and prep me for the veal ahead.

Veal in 2 ways, the sweetbreads and the round, carrots, pearl onions, summer black truffle in brunoise, veal sauce

The winner in the tasting menu has got to be the veal.  Rightly recommended to be had in the pink, this was a truly good piece of meat.  Tender, fragrant and full of flavor despite its youth.  Even though I'm not a fan of carrot, the understated accompaniments did allow the veal to come through.  Perfect.

French cheese platter

The cheeses were actually very good.  But I was pretty up to my eyeballs in food.  I might have preferred some dried fruit to lighten things up but again, the baguettes were too good to resist.  Oh well, so I left half of everything.  Sigh..

Overall, I thought the signature menu was a little more put together despite the lower price.

Slow cooked egg, frog legs poached, garlic cream and watercress sauce

Perfectly cooked frog legs.  Everything else was just a bonus.  Surprisingly light despite all of the cream and egg bound together.

English peas veloute, crispy bread, lemon ginger olive oil and roasted peas

Great base stock and what awesome crispy bread.  Given what we've been spoilt with to start, can't say we were surprised.

Scallops steamed, bacon and leeks confit, leeks emulsion

Great execution but I just prefer scallops done this way to have a little sear to it.

Pigeon lightly roasted, port and red wine sauce, potatoes, brussels sprouts and herbs

This was the winner in the signature.  You can't see it from the picture but there was added sauce underneath reminiscent of a solidified mushroom soup which was pretty astounding.

Mango dessert in 3 ways served with vanilla ice cream

Other than a perfectly naturally sweet and ripe mango, this wasn't terribly exciting as far as desserts go. The base cake was a tad dry but produce saved the day.  Where did they get the mangoes from??

Petit fours - blueberry macaron

This was so blue that my tongue was still blue hours later.  Playful way to end, befitting the restaurant's theme.  It also matched the blue plush chairs.  Great ending to a great story.  Definitely a sequel to this one.

6/F, Tiffan Tower
199 Wanchai Road
Wan Chai
Tel: +852-2573 7288